Tracking Station Configuration

Launch Sites

Potential launch sites go here. Good to have alternates in case weather conditions don't play well with our plans. Need to ensure the balloon will not land anywhere near large bodies of water, forrest, or mountains. We want to recover the payload after all.

Launch Procedure

Launch procedure goes here once we have everything else designed and built.

Nearspace Balloon

Balloon Components

Lightweight but strong chassis big enough to contain all electronics. Need to access internals for adjustments and need to be able to attach parachute/balloon. Need identifying information and make it VISIBLE.

Balloons

Needs to be big enough to lift the full weight of the payload and then some.

Parachute

Needs to be able to safely return the full payload weight to the ground, but quickly so it doesn't drift too far. Also must be VISIBLE.

>>

Chassis

Lightweight but strong chassis big enough to contain all electronics. Need to access internals for adjustments and need to be able to attach parachute/balloon. Need identifying information and make it VISIBLE.

?

?

Laura

Balloons

Needs to be big enough to lift the full weight of the payload and then some.

Vance?

$0

Ben + Laura

Parachute

Needs to be able to safely return the full payload weight to the ground, but quickly so it doesn't drift too far. Also must be VISIBLE.

Ben

$0

Rick

GPS

Must work over 65,000ft. Many GPS units do not work at those altitudes.

James

$0

James

Primary GPS Radio

5 watts should be enough. 2 meters is preferable.

Rick

$0

Rick

Camera

Needs to be able to take time lapse photos.

Kevin

?

Kevin

Power Supply

Needs to power the GPS and TNC at least. Maybe also the radio and camera.

TNC

Using the TinyTrak 3. TEST to make sure it reaches digipeaters and transmits altitude before launch.

Rick

$0

Rick

Changed:

<<

Radio Antenna

Can make a simple J-pole out of ladder line from RadioShack.

Rick

$0

?

>>

Radio Antenna

Can make a simple J-pole out of ladder line from RadioShack.

Rick

$0

Kevin

Video Camera Power

Figure out how to power video camera with external power

Ben

$0

Tom

Audible Beacon

Some lound noise maker so we can find it easily once it lands

?

?

?

Payload Primary Radio

We are using an old HTX-202 2 meter HT originally made by RadioShack. This one has a strange glitch where you get an on screen error when power is applied. To bypass this, you have to hold the function key and the D1 key and then turn the power on. I'm not sure how to fix this permenantly. The radio has a BNC connector for the antenna. This radio is capable of ourputting 5 Watts and requires a 12 volt power supply. The radio has a small battery compartment that can hold 8 AA batteries. We have used 8 Lithium AA batteries in a previous balloon with success.

Using the TinyTrak 3. TEST to make sure it reaches digipeaters and transmits altitude before launch.

Rick

$0

Rick

Radio Antenna

Can make a simple J-pole out of ladder line from RadioShack.

Rick

$0

?

Payload Primary Radio

Changed:

<<

We are using an old HTX-202 2 meter HT originally made by RadioShack. This one has a strange glitch where you get an on screen error when power is applied. To bypass this, you have to hold the function key and the D1 key and then turn the power on. I'm not sure how to fix this permenantly. The radio has a BNC connector for the antenna. This radio is capable of ourputting 5 Watts and requires a 12 volt power supply. The radio has a small battery compartment that can hold 8 AA batteries. We have used 8 Lithium AA batteries in a previous balloon with success.

>>

We are using an old HTX-202 2 meter HT originally made by RadioShack. This one has a strange glitch where you get an on screen error when power is applied. To bypass this, you have to hold the function key and the D1 key and then turn the power on. I'm not sure how to fix this permenantly. The radio has a BNC connector for the antenna. This radio is capable of ourputting 5 Watts and requires a 12 volt power supply. The radio has a small battery compartment that can hold 8 AA batteries. We have used 8 Lithium AA batteries in a previous balloon with success.

Payload Primary Antenna

Changed:

<<

We can make a simple J-Pole antenna from strong ladder line available at RadioShack. We will need the proper BNC connector in order to hook the antenna up to the HTX-202 radio. Here is a guide on how a proper antenna can be made from ladder line. We will probably also need a small piece of coax cable to connect the anteanna to the radio.

>>

We can make a simple J-Pole antenna from strong ladder line available at RadioShack. We will need the proper BNC connector in order to hook the antenna up to the HTX-202 radio. Here is a guide on how a proper antenna can be made from ladder line. We will probably also need a small piece of coax cable to connect the anteanna to the radio.

TNC Configuration

Changed:

<<

We are using the TinyTrak3. The TinyTrak requires a 7 to 30 volt power supply. It is also currently configured to distribute power to the GPS through the DB-9 connector. We may or may not be able to use this depending on how much power the GPS requires. I believe this feature can be disabled by moving (or removing) a resistor on the TinyTrak3 PCB.

>>

We are using the TinyTrak3. The TinyTrak requires a 7 to 30 volt power supply. It is also currently configured to distribute power to the GPS through the DB-9 connector. We may or may not be able to use this depending on how much power the GPS requires. I believe this feature can be disabled by moving (or removing) a resistor on the TinyTrak3 PCB.

Primary GPS

Line: 85 to 85

Launch Procedure

Launch procedure goes here once we have everything else designed and built.

Nearspace Balloon

Line: 52 to 52

TNC Configuration

Changed:

<<

We are using the TinyTrak3. The TinyTrak requires a 5 volt power supply. It is also currently configured to distribute power to the GPS through the DB-9 connector. We may or may not be able to use this depending on how much power the GPS requires. I believe this feature can be disabled by moving (or removing) a resistor on the TinyTrak3 PCB.

>>

We are using the TinyTrak3. The TinyTrak requires a 7 to 30 volt power supply. It is also currently configured to distribute power to the GPS through the DB-9 connector. We may or may not be able to use this depending on how much power the GPS requires. I believe this feature can be disabled by moving (or removing) a resistor on the TinyTrak3 PCB.

Additional Ideas

Balloon Components

Lightweight but strong chassis big enough to contain all electronics. Need to access internals for adjustments and need to be able to attach parachute/balloon. Need identifying information and make it VISIBLE.

Line: 45 to 41

Camera

Needs to be able to take time lapse photos.

Kevin

?

Kevin

Power Supply

Needs to power the GPS and TNC at least. Maybe also the radio and camera.

TNC

Using the TinyTrak 3. TEST to make sure it reaches digipeaters and transmits altitude before launch.

Payload Primary Radio

We are using an old HTX-202 2 meter HT originally made by RadioShack. This one has a strange glitch where you get an on screen error when power is applied. To bypass this, you have to hold the function key and the D1 key and then turn the power on. I'm not sure how to fix this permenantly. The radio has a BNC connector for the antenna. This radio is capable of ourputting 5 Watts and requires a 12 volt power supply. The radio has a small battery compartment that can hold 8 AA batteries. We have used 8 Lithium AA batteries in a previous balloon with success.

Payload Primary Antenna

We can make a simple J-Pole antenna from strong ladder line available at RadioShack. We will need the proper BNC connector in order to hook the antenna up to the HTX-202 radio. Here is a guide on how a proper antenna can be made from ladder line. We will probably also need a small piece of coax cable to connect the anteanna to the radio.

TNC Configuration

We are using the TinyTrak3. The TinyTrak requires a 5 volt power supply. It is also currently configured to distribute power to the GPS through the DB-9 connector. We may or may not be able to use this depending on how much power the GPS requires. I believe this feature can be disabled by moving (or removing) a resistor on the TinyTrak3 PCB.

Primary GPS

James has lent his Garmin eTrex GPS unit to the project. He has also donated his serial/power cable to the project. We need to figure out how much power the eTrex requires and is capable of accepting. Initial tests show that it may be expecting around 3 Volts but perhaps it can accept 5 Volts, which would make our power supply simpler. There is some useful information about Garmin eTrex connectors on this site.

Nearspace Balloon

TODO

Acquire GPS unit for payload. This needs a serial interface to talk to the TinyTrak3.

Line: 39 to 40

Chassis

Lightweight but strong chassis big enough to contain all electronics. Need to access internals for adjustments and need to be able to attach parachute/balloon. Need identifying information and make it VISIBLE.

Balloons

Needs to be big enough to lift the full weight of the payload and then some.

Parachute

Needs to be able to safely return the full payload weight to the ground, but quickly so it doesn't drift too far. Also must be VISIBLE.

Changed:

<<

GPS

Must work over 65,000ft. Many GPS units do not work at those altitudes.

>>

GPS

Must work over 65,000ft. Many GPS units do not work at those altitudes.

James

$0

James

Primary GPS Radio

5 watts should be enough. 2 meters is preferable.

Rick

$0

Rick

Camera

Needs to be able to take time lapse photos.

Kevin

?

Kevin

Power Supply

Needs to power the GPS and TNC at least. Maybe also the radio and camera.

Additional Ideas

Balloon Components

Lightweight but strong chassis big enough to contain all electronics. Need to access internals for adjustments and need to be able to attach parachute/balloon. Need identifying information and make it VISIBLE.

Line: 68 to 74

Launch Procedure

Launch procedure goes here once we have everything else designed and built.